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Students are notorious for avoiding summer reading lists – whether they'd rather spend time outdoors or simply find the list dull, many walk into the first day of class without having read the book title. However, incoming freshmen at Duke University are boycotting and refusing to read Alison Bechdel's family tragicomic Fun Home - they claim that the "pornographic" graphic novel conflicts with their Christian morals.
Bechdel's memoir recounts her traumatic childhood with a closeted and occasionally-abusive father, as well as her own coming out of the closet experience. A strong portion of the novel has sexual themes and nudity, which allegedly discomforted some Duke freshmen. In particular, Brian Grasso had posted in the Class of 2019 Facebook page that he refused to read the [...]

Many students find an area of interest outside the classroom to be involved in during high school, but being involved in extracurricular activities at college has a significant impact on your education experience and even future career. It allows you to build your resume, make new friends and provides scholarship opportunities that you might not have otherwise known about.
During the first [...]

When most people hear Penn State, they think of the college town located in State College famous for Beaver Stadium and football. It's less likely that people think of the other Penn States - the branch campuses. Technically, they are the same university...but perception is different.
Although main campuses may offer more activities, different classes and a completely different lifestyle [...]

I'm sure you've heard the age old adage "It's never too late to earn your college degree." And for Ingeborg Syllm-Rapoport, those words rang true: Nearly eight decades after not being allowed to defend her doctoral thesis under Nazis because she was part-Jewish, the 102-year-old Syllm-Rapoport became Germany's oldest recipient of a doctorate on Tuesday.
Syllm-Rapoport, a retired neonatologist, [...]

There have been countless movie and television show plots surrounding different forms of academic dishonestly but in real life, cheating is more common than you think...even at Ivy League institutions.
According to an annual survey of graduating seniors by the Harvard Crimson newspaper, roughly 20 percent of the students surveyed said they had cheated in their studies while at Harvard. Of [...]

When choosing a major, most would agree that it's important to consider gaining lucrative employment following graduation. In a perfect world, the best college major would simply be the one that interests you most, period. But if you have a particular knack for math or science and aren't necessarily sure where those skills would translate best, consider the kinds of careers that could offer a [...]

We've all been there: Going about our day as if we don't have a care in the world when it dawns on us that (go figure) that term paper on the pros and cons of procrastination in the creative process is due tomorrow. Panicked, we consider emailing our professor an excuse about a death in the family but given we killed off Nana (who's actually alive and well back home) last semester during finals [...]

The transition from high school to college is most evident to students when they realize they’ll no longer be coddled in cozy classes of 20 students or fewer. Lecture halls with 300-plus students are the norm at most major universities, where classes tend to be impersonal, relationships with professors are typically nonexistent and students feel more like numbers than people. So for those who [...]

The average college student can easily spend the better part of their day on Reddit...where just one more link quickly turns into another sleepless night. Hey, we've all been stuck in this inescapable web before (no one’s judging!) but if you're one of the lucky students attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), you'll have the option to receive credit for your Reddit addiction [...]

Say what you will about Generation Y but one thing's for sure, they are one tech savvy group. Armed with smartphones, laptops and tablets, they are plugged in and on the go 24/7. And yet, so many students make the same tech mistakes repeatedly. (I’m looking at you, student who hasn't saved their work once in the past hour!) Luckily, U.S. News and World Report has compiled a list of mistakes to [...]

If you're heading to college in the fall, you'll be faced with a serious decision in the coming months: choosing the right major for you. And while there are myriad factors to consider when making your decision, reviewing the most popular college majors and the majors with the highest earning potential aren't bad places to start. But for those of you interested in something unique, USA Today has [...]

Are you one of the millions of Americas suffering from “Game of Thrones” withdrawal? Do you stay up late at night pondering how the Lannister’s will pay their debts next season? Wonder if Ser Gregor Clegane will turn into Cersei’s dream Frankenstein Monster? Speculate when winter will freaking come already?! Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait close to 10 months to get our next “Game of Thrones” [...]

With recent college graduates facing an unemployment rate of 6.3 percent and substantially lower starting salaries, we have to ask: What path should students take in order to flourish after graduation? And while there isn't one direct route that translates into post-collegiate success, H&R Block has compiled the top 10 majors with the highest unemployment rates for recent college [...]

Not every student goes the four-year route when it comes to getting a college education and instead explores non-traditional options that include for-profit institutions. And while proprietary institutions may not have the best track record, not all for-profit schools are alike. To help you differentiate between the good and the bad, experts at U.S. News & World Report have compiled a few tips on [...]

With the cost of a college education continuing to skyrocket, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become increasingly popular. If you’re not familiar with MOOCs, they provide students with the opportunity to study high quality courses online with prestigious universities – we’re talking Harvard, Yale and Stanford – for free. Well, at least, that used to be the case: Udacity, one of the [...]

The decision to pursue a law degree is not one that should not be taken lightly. Analyzing your hopes and needs prior to applying will help you decide whether it’s worth your time, effort and money. It’s also crucial to examine the possible downsides: crippling student debt, high unemployment rates and declining starting salaries. At this point, if you’re still interested in studying law, you [...]

With recent college graduates facing an unemployment rate of 6.7 percent and substantially lower starting salaries, we have to ask: What path should students take in order to flourish professionally after graduation? While there isn't one direct route that translates into success, the recent “Hot Careers for College Grads and Returning Students 2013” report by UC San Diego Extension revealed a [...]

A University of Virginia medical student who thought he was taking part in a routine training exam is now being credited with potentially saving a man’s life!
According to the University of Virginia Health System, student Ryan Jones was participating in the standardized patient program where actors are assigned a specific condition so that medical students can attempt to diagnose them and found [...]

An important consideration when choosing a major is the possibility of gaining lucrative employment following graduation. In a perfect world, the best college major would simply be the one that interests you the most, period. Naturally, your level of interest in the field should be weighed more heavily than any other, as this is something of which you intend to make a career. If you’re really [...]

Have you ever encountered a situation where superhuman strength would have come in handy? Sure, who hasn’t? Well, thanks to four engineering students from the University of Pennsylvania, it seems as though comic book-like brawn may soon become a reality.
The Titan Arm was designed to help ordinary individuals undergoing physical rehabilitation or those who would benefit from a little extra [...]

The life of the average college student is riddled with deadlines and due dates so when the pressure is on come midterms and finals, there are no sweeter words for those short on time than “class is canceled.” But what if I told you that on the rarest of occasions, you could sign up for a lecture course where attendance wasn't required? Well, that was the reality for a group of student athletes [...]

In what some would consider the most obvious study of all time, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln confirms that the majority of college students are seriously distracted in class and found that smartphones are to blame: According to the study, the average college student checks his or her phone a whopping 11 times a day in class while a mere 8 percent said they never use their phones during a [...]

Stuck on a textbook or novel on your syllabus? Want to make your reading assignments much easier? Here’s an idea: JUST READ! This may sound too obvious or pointless but it just might be crazy enough to work – all you have to do is prioritize, don’t think of it as a chore and go for it.
Prioritizing: It’s imperative that you make time during your studying and school time to read what’s being [...]

College is a time of stimulating classes, new friendships and terrible eating habits. Many students gain weight when they enter college but what no one tells you is that if you don’t change your eating and exercising habits, that weight gain doesn’t end freshman year – it’s up to you to make sure you’re remaining healthy, physically and mentally. Here are some tips on how:
In the cafeteria: [...]

Last week, I wrote about research techniques and tips that I've found useful for preliminary research for a paper. Now it's time to start writing!
You have sources and a direction in which to head but you won’t go anywhere without a strong thesis. A strong thesis states your idea concisely and directly. It should be very specific but also something that is not beyond argument – your paper will [...]